Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-08-06
Sun RIVER CROSSING.
4 Helena Independent Man Writes
up that Village and Ada
cent Country.

Srs RIVER, July 26.--A voyager to
Benton on one of Root & Negns' magni
fieenf stage coaches, that daily leave
Helena for the northern city, finds himself
AT early morning in the pleasant little vii
lape located on the banks of the river after
(which the place is named. Costly ensconc-
g! among mammoth trees, the mighty
stream gliding noiselessiy by the thrifty
town. the traveller is at once impressed
with the attractive beauty oftne surround
ings. sun River, the place IN question, Is
one Of the oldest settlements in Montana
and the center of one of the largest cattle
aud sricultural sections in the territory.
It's citizens. who, though making no I'M
necessary display, represent in a degree
the wealth and industry of the territory,
and though claiming no real estate or rail-
road Blooms to annoy their locality, are
constantly employed in active and profta-
HE pursuits. which transactions undenia-
bly, are true registers of prosperity in any
commercial point. At Sun River congre-
gate the farmers, cattle and wool men of
Montana, who represent an area OF a hun
bred square miles, and which place Is
made the base of supplies and mercantile
Transactions for the district named. The
village possesses many buildings noted
for their architectural beauty, and the
various countr homes, located along the
river. represent by their exterior appear
arce places in Which dwell people carry
Ing the cultured and refined tastes claimed
only by inhabitants of staid and antlquat-
ed cities. The hospitality shown by the
occupants is noted, and where the visitor
expects to find the ordinary and uncouth
cowboy. he is agreeable surprised by the
presence OF feminine beauty and intellect,
agreeable hosts. and musical and literary
features least expected. u River boasts
of several tirst-class mercantile establish
ments and two good hotels, at each OF
which the weary traveller finds rest and Is
entertained in a becoming manner. The
house conducted by John Devine is a
most aomelike place and the genial most,
a 5 'sted by his estimable wife, spares no
aains IN the extension of hospitality to the
stranger. thereby making this caravansary
Il most popular one and sought after by all
travelling in that direction. Numerous
industries are represented, principally a
Touring mill. running necessarily on the
grain product Of the country, and the cree
fions.ef alarge canal, almost completed and
70 be operated by the sun River Canal
Company. From the engineer in charge,
the following interesting facts are noted,
concerning this great yiaduct:
THE Sun RIVER ANA
The main canal, which DIVORCES from
the Teton near the mountains and runs
p~asterlY for q distance OF over seventy
ffee miles, is now nearly completed, and
within the next ten days the water will be
turned in its entire length. A hume one
mile long and an immense iron pipe 1900
feet long is built about seven miles east
oil Choteau. The water will be,delivered
on Antelope flat, about SIX miles up Sun
river from Great Falls. Over 100000
acres OF land are reclaimed by this system
of canals. -Four other bitches are in con
temptation, and considerable work has
been lone on two of them, and next season
the work will be continued vigorously,
thus giving employment to hundreds OF
men. Settlers are RAPIDLY coming in and
taking up the land along the line of the
bitches and improving it by fencing and
building. j. d. Mclntire. who has been
the company's engineer since its organ
ization, three years ago, and who was the
originator of the enterprise, is in charge
and pushing the work with aforce OF forty
teams and seventy-fve men. 1t is further
proposed to use the Benton lake as an i'm.
merse reservoir to store water for the If
rigating season, and a cut n and one
fourth miles long and t~wenty-siy feet deer
at the apex is being excavated to carry the
water from this lake to the large ares
of agricultural lands lying west OF Great
Falls. When this is accomplished it will
open up to agriculture over a million acres
OF the very finest land in the territory
With the advent of railroads, the products
OF these lands will find an unlimited mar
ket at the metropolis at Helena. Sam L
Hauser, A. NJ. Hotter, FL. M. Parchen
Henry Klein, Nick Kessler and other cap
italists of Helena are the gentlemen fur
nishilg the capital to build these canals
and who believe that their construction
viii result in adding millions Of dollars II
the taxable valuation of the territory.
A Big Chinese Scheme.